Abstract : US forces today are under-trained in antisubmarine warfare, at a time when the world conventionally powered submarine base is at an all-time high. The conventional submarine poses a unique and potent threat to US forces, particularly in the littoral regions where ASW is the most difficult. The lessons of World War II, in which German U-boats inflicted great damage and caused a disproportionate diversion of Allied ASW assets, and the inability of British forces to detect the single Argentine submarine San Luis in the Falklands War underscore the relevance of proper planning to deal with the submarine threat in today's joint littoral warfare arena. The approach taken by JTF and Maritime Component staffs in countering the conventional submarine is critical in the success of the maritime forces achieving dominance as an enabling force in the joint littorals.